1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming system including a game which is started by inserting coins or tokens and which displays the game as it progresses under the control of a computer system.
More particularly, it relates to a gaming system that pays out a progressively increasing bonus to a player who wins with a predetermined winning combination.
2. Description of the Related Art
The above-described gaming system is called a progressive gaming system. A progressive gaming system is generally formed with a plurality of linked gaming devices, or machines (hereinafter referred to as gaming controllers), in which a game is started when a coin or a token (hereinafter referred to as a coin) is dropped into a coin slot of a gaming controller.
The progressive gaming system also collects a fixed percentage of a total number of coins dropped into each gaming controller, and the collected coins are deposited as a bonus to pay out to a player who wins with a predetermined winning combination.
One conventional progressive gaming system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,728 includes 6 to 10 gaming controllers as one group. The progressive gaming system disclosed in the U.S. patent includes a display that indicates to players increased values of the progressive bonus per each winning combination. The progressive bonus per each winning combination is increased by depositing a predetermined percentage of coins bet in each gaming controller, whenever the coins are dropped through the coin slot.
When a player wins the game with a predetermined E winning combination which calls for the payout of a progressive bonus, the winner wins the coins corresponding to the progressive bonus. After the progressive bonus is paid out, the progressive bonus value is reset to an initial value.
Another conventional progressive system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,055 links a plurality of different gaming controllers, each having a different play characteristic, e.g., different game playing machines (such as a slot gaming machine and a poker gaming machine), machines of different denominations, and machines of different hit frequencies (such as a slot gaming machine having three reels and a slot gaming machine having four reels).
In the embodiment disclosed in the above-described U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,055, four different gaming controllers are linked. Moreover, the system controls the different controllers in such a way that players can win equally on each of the different controllers. That is, each gaming controller is controlled to calculate a constant percentage of the total number of coins bet in the gaming controller from the number of bet coins, the inserted denomination, hit frequencies or progressive bonus, and to allocate the calculated value as a bonus.
Therefore, each of the gaming controllers should share the progressive bonus value, individually. When any one of several players wins with a predetermined winning combination that is subject to the payout of the progressive bonus, the winner can win the coins corresponding to the progressive bonus value, as a reward.
After the bonus is paid out to the winner, the progressive bonus value is reset to an initial value. However, although games are repeated by a plurality of players in the conventional progressive systems described in the above U.S. patents, the progressive bonus is increased by only a fixed percentage of coins dropped into gaming controllers.
Moreover, in other conventional progressive systems known by the present Applicants, only the player who wins with a predetermined winning combination can receive the progressive bonus by satisfying the conditions of the maximum bet which he/she made. Accordingly, the player who has not put in the maximum bet has no chance to receive the progressive bonus, even if he wins the predetermined winning combination.
That is, although a constant percentage of the collected coins is distributed into the progressive bonus, only the player who puts in a maximum bet has a chance to win the progressive bonus in the conventional progressive gaming systems described above, even though the coins bet by players who do not put in a maximum bet are also added to the bonus value. Therefore, it may be considered irrational to not give a chance to win a progressive bonus to all players who contribute to it, as in the conventional systems. That has become the reason of a significant loss of player interest in conventional progressive gaming systems.